Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Wildwood
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,460 a year or less, while the top 10% make $83,240 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Wildwood earn between $43,400 and $80,500.
- $35K10th
- $43K25th
- $60KMedian
- $80K75th
- $83K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $60,610 | $5,051 | $29.14 |
| Median | $59,510 | $4,959 | $28.61 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $43,400 | $3,617 | $20.87 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $80,500 | $6,708 | $38.70 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Chefs and Head Cooks pay in Wildwood vs. Florida and the U.S.
Chefs and head cooks in Wildwood earn about the same as the Florida average ($61,720) and 9% less than the U.S. average ($66,700). At the median the gap is -5% against the U.S. median of $62,470.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildwood | $60,610 | $59,510 | $35,460 | $83,240 | 130 |
| Florida | $61,720 | $58,240 | $31,920 | $92,300 | 19,670 |
| United States | $66,700 | $62,470 | $37,900 | $98,560 | 200,040 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Wildwood
On the average salary of $60,610, a single filer in Wildwood takes home about $50,880 a year, or $4,240 a month and $1,957 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Wildwood a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Wildwood area are 15% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 85.4), so the average $60,610 buys what about $70,952 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Wildwood ($45,830). A typical home costs $389,720, or 6.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Florida cities
Wildwood ranks 7th of 22 Florida metro areas for this job; Naples pays the most ($74,320).
- Naples$74,320
- Orlando$67,370
- Sarasota$64,770
- Port St. Lucie$62,060
- Jacksonville$61,250
- Tampa$61,170
- Wildwood$60,610
- Miami$60,190
- Fort Myers$60,010
- Crestview$59,240
Highest-paying cities for chefs and head cooks
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,380).
- Kahului, HI$91,380
- Napa, CA$83,750
- San Jose, CA$80,150
- Albany, NY$79,500
- Providence, RI$79,440
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Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Wildwood: questions
How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in Wildwood?
$29.14 an hour on average, and $28.61 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in Wildwood?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,460 a year and the 25th percentile is $43,400, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in Wildwood?
About $50,880 a year ($4,240 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $60,610. Florida has no state income tax.
Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Wildwood than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($66,700).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-1011; area Wildwood-The Villages, FL (48680). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.7%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index (a city in the same metro). Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 2.42, this job is 2.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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